Birds and Bashfulness
by Wish Upon Dreams
Summary: "Touka isn't the only one who gets antsy around birds." [A drabble involving Hinami, Ayato and birds]


**Note** : Just a fan of Tokyo Ghoul borrowing the characters to write this fanfic.

 **Summary:** "Touka isn't the only one who gets antsy around birds." [A drabble/fic involving Hinami, Ayato and birds.]

 **Authors Note:** I started out trying to write a headcanon and it turned into this little drabble/fic. Hope you enjoy reading! :)

xxxxx

Touka isn't the only one who gets antsy around birds.

Ayato _used_ to be really fascinated by them when he was younger. In fact, he had even braved searching for those disgusting earthworms and other insects just to help feed the injured bird - fondly dubbed Chunta- that they had stumbled upon one day. It had always made his chest puff up with pride whenever his otou-san or the neighbors mentioned what good children they were for taking care of such a tiny creature.

But that all changed after watching Chunta peck Touka on the corner of her eyelid when they were fleeing from the ghoul investigators. Henceforth, Ayato had been unable to keep himself from flinching whenever there were flocks of birds present in the area - he hadn't been expecting that the bird would be so agitated and he certainly hadn't thought that they would attack his older sister. The memory of his aneki yelping in pain and clutching at her eye leaving a lasting impression on him for days, months, even years afterwards.

xxxxx

It's purely by chance that this very secret trait of his comes to light much later on in his life.

He has just completed an Aogiri mission with Hinami and they are briskly striding - in actuality, she is jogging along trying to keep up with his pace - through a forest when _it_ happens.

At that point he's tired and miserable and just _knows_ that idiot Naki is going to be causing him trouble once he reaches the base (having to listen to all that yapping about his aniki Yamori will drain the last vestiges of energy he has left) and so he doesn't notice right away that the girl behind him has stopped walking. When he does however, he sighs and trudges over to where she remains crouched beside a shadowed tree.

Her eyes are locked on something and curious, he swoops up behind her, glancing over her shoulder.

Less than 30 seconds later he finds himself stumbling inelegantly over the roots of the tree trunk when the _living thing_ in her hands tweets and careens its way in his direction.

He watches as the girl soothes the baby bird, using a single finger to rub them gently atop their head, before she turns to face him.

"Ayato-kun, are you alright?" she asks, holding out her free hand to help him up.

Her normally timid features are filled with worry and, on closer inspection, is that a hint of amusement? His cheeks warm as he nudges her hand aside and then stands, avoiding her eyes as he pats himself down.

How could he explain this away?

He opens his mouth and then closes it, still eying the hatchling distrustfully when it ruffles its feathers and tweets at him.

"You look like onee-chan when you do that." She lets out a giggle when he scoffs, "It's not a bad thing - it's actually ... comforting."

Her gaze is wistful and it reminds him so much of his own expressions right after he left his aneki that he experiences a pang of pain. It clears up in the next second though - almost as if it was never there.

Perhaps the bird senses the gloomy mood because they nip at her finger. She releases a little cry of surprise and he jumps to her side, glaring at the creature.

 _First aneki and now Hinami._

"Ayato-kun, stop that. I'm okay! They're probably just a bit scared." she states, pulling on his arm and he retreats _slightly_. She waits until he's more composed (outwardly that is - internally he's still fuming) and then points upwards to a tree branch. "Do you see that bunch of twigs? They must have fallen from their nest. I was hoping to carry them up there but I can't quite reach and..."

He swallows.

Is she going to ask what he thinks she is?

" _No_ , Hina-" He crosses his arms and shakes his head vigorously.

She continues staring at him with those wide eyes of hers and his shoulders drop as - _just like that_ \- he gives in. He's glad that Naki isn't aware of the power that she holds over him - if he did ... Ayato shudders at the very notion.

" _Tch._ Fine, but I'm warning you that I'm no good with them."

"Thank you!" She gives him such a dazzling smile that he can't bring himself to regret it - not when she had been looking down more often these past few days.

She approaches him with her palm outstretched and when he unconsciously shrinks backwards, she halts.

"If you're that nervous then all you have to do is inform me." she berates him but he infers from her tone of voice that she probably feels guilty, " I don't want you to feel obligated to do this. I can try to get this little guy there on my o-"

"I already said I would so just hurry up and bring them over" he says, interrupting her rambling speech. "The sooner this is over, the better."

She studies his face and relents when he holds out his arm. He expects her to give him the stupid bird but instead she grabs at his hand with her free one.

He stares wordlessly as she intertwines their fingers.

"You're trembling...there's no need to be afraid", she tells him before maneuvering their joined hands down to touch its head. "They'll calm down if you stroke them."

His hand shakes - it's going to bite his finger off or something - and she squeezes it in support before finally removing her own so that he's performing the action by himself. He inhales sharply, expecting the worst, but ... nothing happens except for the nestling trilling happily under his care.

He allows himself to relax and he doesn't even mind that Hinami might have managed to catch him with his guard down. He's by no means the most approachable guy to be around but even he can manage to occasionally muster up a sincere smile.

It takes him no time at all to place them back in the nest, luckily managing to avoid the mother bird by mere moments.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asks, once he's back on stable ground.

He turns around and shrugs, reluctant to admit that she was right but she's not bothered.

"I'm not sure what happened in the past to make both you and onee-chan so cautious around them but," she nudges his shoulder with her own,"you managed to do just fine."

xxxxx

Hinami starts telling him stories of the cockatiel parrot they kept back at Anteiku - how it had a star on its wing and how it sometimes swore at his aneki (he keeps the last fact in mind so that he can use it to annoy his older sister the next time he sees her). He's unsure whether it's due to her enthusiasm on the topic or because she had made him face that fear himself but he unexpectedly finds that he no longer has to suppress the urge to flee when faced with birds.

xxxxx

They're sitting on top of the roof - his mini relaxation spot that she's beginning to frequent more often - and looking out into the horizon where sun is gradually setting, when she suddenly speaks.

"Am I similar to a bird?"

He turns to peer quizzically at her, squinting against the remaining rays of light.

"Hinami, what nonsense are you spout-"

She cuts him off, waving her hands.

"Oh! I didn't realize I said that aloud. Don't mind me, it's just something that crossed my mind." She lets out a laugh that's so obviously forced - so utterly unlike her bright demeanor - and he has to fight back this strange impulse to envelop her in his arms. When his gaze doesn't waver, she continues." Well, it took you a while to get used to birds - just like it took you some time to warm up to me."

He can't deny that - even if she's only joking.

"I guess ... that's true..." he grumbles, "but what does that have to do with anything?"

She ignores his question, returning it with one of her own instead.

"Do you like birds now?"

 _What is she trying to get at?_

"I suppose they're alright, thanks to you."

There's silence for a moment or two as she returns to staring out into the far distance and then, she scoots closer to him.

"Then...do you like _me_ now?" she whispers softly, her hair concealing her features as she glances downwards at her lap, but he hears it loud and clear.

"What sort of question is that? Of course I do - you're my trusted partner and I..."

His voice fades away as he's overcome with a bunch of memories - her smiles that linger in his mind, their late night chats, her chastising him for agitating Naki, how much she cares about others including his sister and himself- and he has the not-so-sudden (he'd caught himself thinking about it recently) realization that he _might_ just like her as more than a partner.

He averts his gaze when she swivels to face him, her head tilting to the side as she scans him intently, and he inwardly curses when he senses a flush of red creeping up his neck - it's something that he dearly hopes she doesn't pick up on.

"Hmmm... and you, what?" she counters, her eyes shining.

How could he have forgotten... this was Hinami, the girl who knew him best out of everyone in Aogiri...of course she would figure it out!

"Geez, you're brilliant and you already know so please don't make me say it." he manages to stammer out, sucking in a startled breath when she leans in to brush her lips against his cheek.

This time her laughter is genuine.


End file.
